Page 3 of Deny Me

“I’m not creeping about. I was coming down for a drink and you were stood there with the fridge door open for ages. Maybe I should ask you what you were thinking about to not even hear me?” he questions, and I freeze for a moment before I compose myself and avert from looking at him.

“I had a nightmare,” I say quietly, feeling flustered.

“A nightmare, huh?”

“Yes.” I stand abruptly, turning to the sink to wring out the towel and keep myself busy.

“Do all of your nightmares have you moaning my brother’s name?” he asks, and my breath catches in my throat. He fucking heard me moaning Mason’s name? Oh my god, can this night get any worse? “Do all of your nightmares have you coming so hard that I can hear you down the hallway?”

I remain silent, too embarrassed to even try and defend myself.

“Are all of your nightmares about him, or do I get a look in every now and again?” he whispers, and I turn quickly to find him right behind me, only a sliver of space between us.

“Jared…” My voice fades off as I look into his eyes that are so similar to Mason’s, just being a shade lighter in colour. His arms move either side of me, his hands resting on the sink unit as he leans in and brushes his lips over mine.

“Maybe I can be in your nightmares too,” he says before his lips push against mine. His soft lips that coax mine to move with his. His soft lips that feel so different to Mason’s. His soft lips that open, as do mine, letting our tongues tangle together.

Until I come to my goddamn senses and break away from him, my eyes wide as I push my hands on his firm chest, needing space.

“I… We…” I have no words. What the hell do I say? I kissed him back. Fuck. And without another word, I duck under his arm and walk around him, running up the stairs and back to my bedroom, my heart pounding at what I’ve done.

ChapterFour

MASON

“Good morning,” I say as I walk into the kitchen to see Gabrielle sat at the table, her eyes focused on nothing as she stares into space. I frown as I walk past her to make a cup of coffee.

“Hello, earth to Gabrielle,” I say as I click my fingers in front of her face and take a seat opposite her, sipping my coffee.

She seems to jolt herself out of whatever daze she’s in, and when she looks at me, she bites her bottom lip as tears begin to form in her eyes. I quickly put my coffee down, my concern ramping up.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I reach for her hand, but she pulls it back and jumps up from her seat.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, before she’s taking off with me hot on her heels. She manages to get out of the front door and to her car, but I spin her around and back her against the driver’s side, caging her in, because I am not going to watch her get upset over something and then run off like that.

“What’s going on, squirt?” I ask her, my brows furrowed as I watch the tears begin to fall down her cheeks. I bring a hand to her cheek and wipe them away with my thumb as she closes her eyes to avoid looking at me. “Gabrielle, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re crying.”

“You’ll hate me if I tell you,” she whispers, opening her eyes but staring at my chest instead of looking directly at me, so I lean down, my eyes level with hers as I say, “Try me.”

“Get away from me,” she says, getting a new wave of anger to push me away from her. I stumble, the unexpected change catching me off guard, and I stumble back enough for her to open her car door and get in. I quickly go to the car and grab the door handle, just as I watch her on the inside click the locks into place.

“Gabrielle, open the fucking door,” I growl.

She doesn’t answer me, she just starts the car and turns away from me, incensing me further.

“Gabrielle,” I shout, my fingers still curled around the handle as she begins to pull off the drive. “Fucking stop it.” She has no intention of stopping it as she sticks her middle finger up at me before putting her foot down and tearing off the driveway, making me let go of the handle to save being dragged along the concrete.

“Fuck,” I shout out loud, looking to the cloudy sky above me.

“Problem?” I hear Jared say from behind me, and I turn around, the blood pumping in my veins.

“What the hell is wrong with her?” I fume as I stomp my way back to the house to get my car keys and go after her. I already know her schedule inside out, and I know she’ll be pulling into the college carpark in about fifteen minutes, ready to start her lessons for the day.

But as I brush past Jared, he stops me in my tracks when he says, “It’s probably because I kissed her last night.”

I don’t know what to say as the silence hangs between us. He fucking kissed her?

“You what?”

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